Peter & Fred Become BFFs In AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #7

Peter Parker’s supervillain roommate from hell earns himself a bit of trust and friendship. Amazing Spider-Man #7 continues the comedic chaos from last issue and develops Boomerang even further.

***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***

Already in this young run of Amazing Spider-Man, Nick Spencer has us eating out of his hand. The man was born to write Spidey and it’s so exciting to be reading what is hopefully a very long run. We’ve done so much in just seven issues without really touching any major villains or dramatic arcs.

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Spencer isn’t reinventing the medium or blazing a new trail for comics. He’s just writing really great superhero comics without overdoing anything. He barely taps into cliches or tropes and when he does it’s a fresh take on a stale storytelling device.

Amazing Spider-Man #6 was an all-time great comedic Spidey issue, the Spider-Man trivia night at The Bar With No Name is a moment we’ll not soon forget. Issue #7 carries on the light tone early on and pushes our glorious Boomerang further into the spotlight.

After a selfless act by Fred to absorb an incoming projectile, Peter is guilted into opening up his social circle to his least favorite roommate. Take away all the ridiculous superhero elements and this is a highly relatable situation for any reader. It’s also a very Peter Parker social situation. Spencer reminds us why Spidey is our favorite hero, because Pete is us.

The development of Fred Myers has been highly enjoyable. We all knew it was coming when Spencer was announced as writer (thanks to Superior Foes Of Spider-Man), but not to this extent. At this point, it’s almost impossible not to love Boomerang.

Revealing his Superior Foes hangout to be a sad use of Tinkerer’s LMDs was an unexpected and effective turn. By the end of the issue, Pete sees a lot of himself in this reformed supervillain jackass. I think it’s safe to say that a lot of readers can see themselves in him too.

Artist Humberto Ramos also deserves a lot of credit for turning up the charm on Boomerang. The emotional and comedic beats land heavily thanks to his brilliant expressions and body language.

Fred is an adorable and damaged, self-inflicted tragedy that both readers and Peter can’t help but have a soft spot for. The eight-panel grid of Fred sobbing on the LMD of Speed Demon, only to get pissed off that he really was cheating is such a strong character moment.

The third act of Amazing Spider-Man #7 shifts our attention fully onto the conductor of Pete and Fred’s rough night, Wilson Fisk. Nick Spencer has done as much as Charles Soule, if not more, in making sure Fisk’s tenure as Mayor of NYC matters in the grand scheme. He’s utilizing the current continuity in a fun way that works for Spider-Man.

Our mysterious villain operating in the shadows appears to let us know that he’s really the one calling the shots and not Kingpin. We still don’t know who this character is, but he’s got cool death-centipedes! When there was a reaction panel with an orange background I expected to see Hobgoblin standing there, but that’s just the desire of my heart over my head.

The design of this character is perfectly molded for Humberto Ramos to draw. The hood, tattered straight-jacket, jagged teeth, death-centipedes, and the vacant eye sockets all give Ramos plenty to play with and he doesn’t disappoint. He’s effectively creepy, which isn’t something you often say about a Spider-Man villain.

Amazing Spider-Man #7’s final scene is one of the instances I spoke about earlier, with Spencer delivering something familiar but making it feel fresh. This time I would credit Ramos more with the effectiveness of the scene, but it’s great nonetheless. Slowly showing this mystery villain bit-by-bit in the background of the previous issues pays off here and will likely continue to payoff when he finally takes center stage.

Inker Victor Olazaba also plays a large part in the creepy atmosphere and shift that this final scene takes. There’s a palpable wave of dread that washes over the reader thanks to tastefully heavy inks. Colorist Edgar Delgado does a brilliant job once again bringing the Bar With No Name brawl to life. If that orange background was purposely meant to throw us off, Delgado is on another level.

Amazing Spider-Man #7 is another fantastic issue by Nick Spencer and company. This series can soon sit next to Tom King’s Batman as the only comics to perfect the double-shipping schedule. Spencer’s run will one to revisit often once it’s collected.

This is the best superhero comic book on the planet. It’s a revelation for Spider-Man fans.

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